David Tennant and Jason Watkins have been confirmed to star in Sharon Maguire’s The Joy Of Sex. The film is set to tell the story of how the famous 1970s love-making manual was created, a book that has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.
The Doctor Who star and The Game actor will appear alongside Oscar winners Colin Firth and Julianne Moore, as well as Ozark’s Laura Linney and Phantom Thread’s Vicky Krieps, Deadline reported.
An official synopsis says that the film will follow “the hilarious, heartbreaking and incredible true story of how this most unusual of recipe books was born.”
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It reads: “Alex Comfort (Firth), a British science professor who specialized in the lifelong study of molluscs, thought he was writing ‘an antidote to war’. The film tells the story of the passionate and complicated romantic trio of Comfort, his wife Ruth (Linney) and her best friend Jane (Moore).
“This unconventional throuple in the quiet suburbs of North London challenged societal norms, lasting 10 years. It was the laboratory where recipes outlined in the book, as well as the instantly recognizable hand-drawn sketches of hirsute hippies having sex, were born.
“The book was erotic, funny, and wholesome, reinventing sex and love for ordinary people and giving them permission to enjoy sex for the first time ever.”
The script is written by Maguire and Lisa Mayer, with filming beginning in the UK this week.
Speaking ahead of the film’s release, Maguire explained her motivations to tell the incredible true story.
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“The Joy of Sex was never allowed inside my Irish Catholic household in the 70s, and as a result, its hidden promise had me in its thrall,” she said in a statement.
“The irony is that the book was an unashamed sex guide for loving couples, yet it was created out of a somewhat tempestuous triangle.
“Dissecting this triangle lies at the heart of the movie. It’s a story which is surprising, moving and very funny.”
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Freelance Reporter, Digital Spy
Rebecca is a freelance journalist who specializes in TV and film. After beginning her career as a digital entertainment journalist for the Express & Star and Shropshire Star, she embarked on a freelance career in 2021 contributing to the likes of Metro UK, The Sun, WhatCulture, Screen Rant, FilmHounds Magazine and more.
Her particular field of interest is horror cinema and she has written for genre publications such as Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club.
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